The present invention introduces the method, equipment, and composition for fighting fires in human-occupied spaces, using a mobile system that can produce, store and deliver hypoxic fire-extinguishing agent into any enclosed environment in order to instantly extinguish an ongoing fire and to prevent fire from starting again.
The goal of this invention is to provide superior solution for current firefighting vehicles that use water or foam for fighting fires.
With its mode of action based on the delivery and release of breathable hypoxic fire-suppressive gas mixture, this human-friendly system is completely non-toxic and entirely self-sustaining. Consequently, it is ideally suited for fighting fires in buildings of any type and all other applications where current firefighting vehicles are used. This invention is an important addition and improvement of the Fire Prevention and Suppression System (FirePASS(trademark)) described in earlier patent applications provided above.
Residential and industrial fires happen every minute and firefighters around the globe risk their lives while trying to extinguish them mostly with the oldest and primitive method of spraying water.
Modern firefighting vehicles can provide either water or foam, which is not efficient and creates damage to equipment and property. This inefficiency was demonstrated recently by the daylong efforts of extinguishing fire in Pentagon building after terrorist attack on Sep. 11, 2001.
Water or foam are especially inefficient in fighting fires under collapsed buildings, which usually happens after earthquakes and explosions. Hundreds of firefighters tried for over three weeks to extinguish multiple fires under World Trade Center in New York, collapsed after terrorist attack on the same date. And there is always a risk that survivors under rubble could drown in water supplied by fire engines. Many fires there were started and maintained by multiple gas leakages under ruins, which cannot be extinguished using current methods.
The invented Mobile Firefighting Unit (MFU) can extinguish similar fires within minutes by flooding ruins with breathable hypoxic agent that would instantly suppress local fires while allowing survivors to breath.
MFU can be used in any type of building and structure, providing instant fire suppression and, most importantly, safe human-breathable environment (clinical studies have proven that long term exposure to a hypoxic environment has significant health benefits).
Hypoxic breathable gas mixture (fire suppressive agent) can be inexpensively produced in necessary quantities through the extraction of oxygen from ambient air, which is provided by the Hypoxic Generator described in previous applications. Hypoxic fire-extinguishing agent is stored in a high-pressure container and can be released when needed at any location. Alternatively, breathable hypoxic agent can be produced at site by mixing ambient air with nitrogen, delivered in a liquid form in a mobile container and evaporated in necessary quantities through forced heating.
The principal objects of this invention are as follows:
A method for producing, storing, transporting and releasing breathable hypoxic fire-extinguishing agent inside human-occupied environments.
The provision of equipment that can produce, store, transport and release said hypoxic breathable fire-extinguishing agent at demand. Such equipment employs the processes of molecular-sieve adsorption, membrane-separation, cryogenic distillation and other oxygen extraction technologies for producing said agent.
The provision of mobile equipment that employs a high-pressure gas storage container in order to store said agent and a motorized frame or truck to transport it. The release of said agent on fire site is accomplished via hose, piping or tubing delivering said agent from the high-pressure container to the location of fire.
The provision of mobile equipment and a method to instantly produce said agent at fire site by evaporating liquid nitrogen and mixing nitrogen gas with ambient air. This equipment employs a liquid nitrogen storage container, vaporizer, air supply pump and mixing chamber, all being installed on a motorized frame or truck in order to transport it. The release of said agent on fire site is accomplished via hose, piping or tubing delivering produced agent from the mixing chamber to the location of fire.
The provision of mobile equipment and a method to instantly produce said agent at fire site by mixing nitrogen gas with ambient air in specific proportions. This equipment employs a high-pressure nitrogen gas storage container, air supply pump and a mixing chamber, all being installed on a motorized frame or truck in order to transport it. The release of said agent on fire site is accomplished via hose, piping or tubing delivering produced agent from the mixing chamber to the location of fire.
The provision of mobile equipment and a method to instantly produce a fire-suppressive, oxygen-depleted atmosphere, where people can safely breath (without respiratory-support means). This can be accomplished by the releasing the hypoxic agent inside a building or other object on fire and creating fire-suppressive atmosphere having an oxygen content ranging from 10% to 16%.